Page 49 of Mystic Justice
A slow smile tugged across his handsome face. ‘Did you now?’
‘I did.’
‘I appreciate that.’ He reached out and tucked an errant strand of hair behind my ear. ‘Do you remember what I said I wanted from my mate?’
‘You said she had to be strong, have her own sense of morality and be willing to kill for you.’
He nodded. ‘That’s right. Well-remembered, Inspector.’
‘I’m pretty sure I remember every word you’ve ever spoken to me.’ He knew how to leave an impression; I didn’t want to admit how often I’d replayed his words as I lay alone in my bed.
‘Do you, now? Then I’ll have to choose them with greater care. You’re certainly strong and undoubtedly moral – if you weren’t, you’d constantly use your powers to slip into people’s minds.’
‘It’s tempting, especially on a case like this,’ I admitted. ‘But I promised my parents I wouldn’t. If I bumble around in people’s minds, one day I’ll slip up and Mum will end up in Wraithmore prison for failing to register me.’
He nodded. ‘It’s a concern, but you can’t shy away from who you are. You’re powerful, strong. You’re moral.’ He paused. ‘But you wouldn’t kill for me. Not yet.’ There was no censorship in his tone, just quiet certainty.
The annoying thing was that he was probably right. Despite my role as Judge, Jury and Executioner, I never dealt death lightly. Never. ‘Would you kill for me?’ I asked curiously. ‘Even now?’
He didn’t hesitate. ‘Yes. If anyone harmed you, I’d rip off their heads with my bare hands.’
‘If anyone hurt me, I’d kill them myself,’ I groused.
He smiled. ‘I know.’
I took a long sip of Dr Pepper.WouldI kill for him? If he were attacked, I’d certainly defend him but could I –would I– kill someone in cold blood for him? No. That wasn’t who I was. If he required that, then maybe we were done before we even got started. And that just sucked.
‘I kill for justice,’ I said finally. ‘Nothing else.’
‘Justice is lucky to have you on her side. One day you might be on mine.’ He said it lightly yet somehow his words weighed on me.
Krieg had devoured an ungodly amount of food. He chucked the empty packaging into a bin next to the car and started the engine to take us to Botany.
I ate my wrap and thought about death and killing.
Chapter Twenty-Four
‘Stay up high,’ I murmured to Loki. ‘Stay discreet.’
‘Me go up. Ninja bird,’ he assured me, taking to the wing.
I grimaced. I couldn’t imagine anything less discreet than my bird trying to pretend to be a ninja. Still, his energy levels seemed better since he’d had the chicken nuggets so maybe he really had been a little low on fuel.
Botany’s doors were open when we arrived. The fire elemental who’d fainted when we first went there, Jane Calder, greeted us automatically then her smile wobbled as she recognised us. ‘There are already two officers here,’ she hissed. ‘You’ll ruin the atmosphere. No one wants cops with their beer.’
‘I do,’ Krieg murmured for my ears alone.
I ignored him and smiled at Jane with faux-friendliness. ‘I can arrest you if you want and that can affect the atmosphere even more.’
She paled and the flames on her head danced like someone had blown on them. She was nervous and didn’t like the idea of being arrested, but not many people did. Being arrested by the Connection had a significant correlation with subsequent death.
She forced a laugh. ‘No, that’s okay.’ Recovering her composure, she said bossily, ‘Go on in, but please question the staff out of sight of the customers.’
‘We’ll question them where we need to,’ I said flatly. ‘Is Merrick in?’
‘Yes.’ She brightened, pleased to have my energy redirected elsewhere. ‘He’s in his office on the mezzanine floor – but he’s in a terrible mood today. Hopefully Betty will help.’ She muttered the last aside under her breath, but I caught it all the same.
She led us into the bar and collared Ruben, the huffy werewolf. ‘Can you take them up to see Gideon?’
